By Albert Futukpor
Damongo, August 11, GNA – The Savannah Regional office of the Lands Commission has been inaugurated to bring formal land administration services closer to the people of the area.
Mr. Benito Owusu Bio, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, whose speech was read on his behalf during the inauguration of the office at Damongo, said an efficient and decentralised land administration system would boost investor confidence in the region.
It would also ensure that efficient land administration service delivery was brought to the doorstep of the people.
Prior to the inauguration of the office, residents accessed land administration services from the Tamale office of the Lands Commission in the Northern Region.
Mr. Bio said: “The era when applicants have to travel for hours from Bole, Buipe, Salaga, Damongo amongst others to access land administrative services in Tamale has become a thing of the past thus the unofficial cost associated with land administration services will now reduce drastically.”
He said: “What is unique about the establishment of offices in the Savannah Region is that the offices shall operate in a fully digital environment.”
Mr. Bio indicated that this would help achieve speed and reduce the usual delays associated with the processing of documents in manual environment, adding “The human interactions will reduce and hopefully issues of rent seeking attitude of staff and unqualified land agents will be reduced to barest minimum.”
He said the provision of formal land administration services was at the core of every sector of the economy, adding “Land administration services including survey and mapping, valuation of property, rating, state land acquisition, land management and registration are critical services that help to propel the socio-economic growth of the country.”
Dr Adams Sulemana Achanso, Savannah Regional Chairman of the Lands Commission said the inauguration of the office was another benefit that “We are going to derive from the creation of the Savannah Region. Since the inauguration of the Commission on July 26, 2021, the Savannah Regional Lands Commission has been in operation informally.
“So, today’s inauguration is going to formalise its operations. There is no need to travel out of the region to transact land related business. The services being rendered by the office will include surveying, valuation, land registration amongst others.”
Dr Achanso cautioned: “Whoever is interested in these services should endeavour to come to the office by himself or herself and avoid passing their documents through third parties. Submitting documents to the office by oneself saves time, money and stress.”
GNA